With their single father, they go to Arundel Hall in the Berkshire Mountains, Massachusetts, USA. The family rent a cottage on the edge of the Arundel estate and an ordinary vacation turns into three long weeks of adventure and fun.

The four girls befriend a boy, Jeffrey, whose single mother owns the Arundel Estate. But when Jeffrey's mother falls in love with mean Dexter, everything goes wrong.

With Skye and Jane's help, Jeffrey tries to stop his mother. Meanwhile, Batty and Rosalind meet Arundel's young gardener - Cagney. Rosalind is head over heels for Cagney, Skye is helping Jeffrey, Jane is in her own writing world and Batty loses Cagney's rabbits - which makes her try to leave Arundel, and go back home.

Will Jane, Skye and Jeffrey, change Dexter and Jeffrey's mother's plans of sending him to boarding school?

Will Rosalind still love Cagney after she discovers something terrible one night?

Will Batty and her faithful Hound brave Jeffrey's scary mother or suffer the consequences of losing the rabbits?

I read this book with my sister and we both enjoyed it so much. So if you like Jacqueline Wilson or Cathy Cassidy and a twist of adventure, you'll like this.

This gripping 260-page novel written by Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for ages 8-12 The first book in the Penderwicks series (three so far). I think this is a perfect first book to the series.

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